One of the most iconic counter stamps displayed on Engelhard ingots is no other then UNITED. United Refining and Smelting of Franklin Park, Illinois. Established in 1950 they served as a full service and secondary refiner of precious metals. They were aquired by Diversified Industries Inc in 1968. Then merged with Sims Recycling Solutions in 2007.
It is believed Engelhard produced these ingots in a 3oz, 5oz, and 10oz class. During production they applied the weight class, purity, and serial number. There is an estimated mintage of 100-200 per weight class. United Refining and Smelting applied their hallmark stamping post production. The president of UNITED at that time was Al Payne. He was responsible for producing these ingots from Engelhard.
I would like to thank http://allengelhard.com for the amazing content they offer on this subject. The research and time they have put in is second to none.
There are a few interesting pics I want to share of the ONLY United silver ingots I own. The photo below is of a 5oz UNITED Engelhard silver ingot:
** Estimated Mintage <100**
4th series in UNITED Refining variation
** Ingot #08239 sold on February 18, 2017 for $2500.00**
A couple years ago, I came across a piece that had a striking resemblance to the rare Engelhard UNITED. In the begining of this article I mentioned how Engelhard handled all the production work except stamping the hallmark. Well that is exactly what I found!! See the photo below:
4th Series variation Engelhard production
** Estimated Mintage <50**
** Three KNOWN examples**
This Engelhard ingot is believed have been produced for United. IT JUST NEVER RECEIVED A HALLMARK. As you can see right away the landscape is exact. The serial range on each bar is very close. Indicating the same production run. The photos below are side by side comparison photos.
👆 A great photo that shows an identical landscape. Serial number range.
👆 It is evident here the same mold was used. As the demensions are also exact.
👆The nail in the coffin for me! The pour style on the reverse side demonstrates the same style and size indentations.
IT'S A MATCH
There is a small twist that remains a mystery. The "blank UNITED" example I own has a freemason counter stamp on the reverse side. This is the only one out of the three to carry that stamp. Photos shown below:
Freemason stamp which looks to be stamped post production. That has not been confirmed.
In conclusion, I would classify the "blank" ingot as a prototype produced by Engelhard for United Refining and Smelting Inc. It's amazing how steady documentation and research can yield this kind of discovery. These are the intriguing factors that hold me hostage to the vintage silver market. A "blank" UNITED 5oz is yet to test the open market. If I were to put a price on it today. I would confidently say $3,000+.
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